Computing equipment and particularly Personal Computers (PC's) are being provided with increasing multitasking capabilities, whereby multiple applications can be opened at the same time, and applications in the background can continue to run as processor time is available. Applications have taken advantage of this multitasking capability by introducing multitasking models. Whether by spawning new processes or new independent JVMs, applications are utilizing the tabs method to create user friendly multitasking while having the user stay within one application. Whether the application is Internet Explorer or Firefox Browser, Lotus Notes, or MS Word, or an email application users can navigate through a number of instances within each application and a number of different applications, all of which may be open at the same time on a single computer. This allows for manifold undertakings as the user conducts business throughout the day.
Because of the power and flexibility of the tab method, many workers today utilize their computer desktop as an informal reminder of tasks that they need to perform. For example, a user is asked to prepare a summary of a new software patch. He or she opens a document in MS Word and types in a title “??? Software Patch”. The user then brings up a PowerPoint presentation that he/she is working on for a presentation that afternoon. The open MS Word document is moved to the background and a tab is provided on the task bar of the user's desktop, showing the title of the document. Thus, the user can use the tabs as a reminder of tasks to be completed, but which the user may not currently be actively working on.
A problem arises when the computer shuts down or freezes, or when the worker becomes distracted with another application in the foreground, and fails to check on the document that needs to be worked on. Some operating systems offer to close all tabs at once and not just one active process within an application. Some applications, such as MS Office applications, offer to save the work for individual tabs when abruptly closing, while others, such as Lotus Notes, do not. Thus, a user who is using tabs as a reminder of pending tasks may close the tab inadvertently, with or without saving changes. While some application may save the partially completed process, the user will not be notified of the process until the relevant application is opened again.
It is an object of the present invention to provide task listings for open application processes and reminders for such processes to a user.